starcraftfandomcom-20200213-history
Alpha Squadron
|fgcolor= |race1=Terran |race2= |image=AlphaSquadron SC1 Logo1.svg |imgsize=200px |imgdesc= |base=Chau Sara (?–December, 2499) |type=Advanced tactical strike squadron |founding= |constitution= |leader= |headofstate= |headofgov= |commander=General Edmund Duke (?–September, 2500) |defacto=Confederate Command (?–January 1, 2500) Dominion High Command (2500–) |executive= |legislative= |judicial= |affiliation= Terran Confederacy (?–January 1, 2500) Sons of Korhal (January 1, 2500–March, 2500) Terran Dominion (March, 2500–) |strength= |capital=Chau Sara (?–December, 2499) |language= |currency= |holiday= |formed= |established= |fragmented= |reorganized=2500 (as a Sons of Korhal squadron, later into the Dominion as an advanced tactical strike unit) |dissolved= |restored= |status=Active }} Alpha Squadron, also referred to as the "Blood Hawks," is a former Terran Confederate military squadron that later aligned with the Terran Dominion. Alpha Squadron prided themselves as being the "first group in and first group out" of any hot zone. They had a notorious reputation for lightning quick attacks on unsuspecting enemy encampments. The fatality rating of Alpha Squadron was the lowest amongst the Confederate Armed Forces due to their skill and precision in quick tactical maneuvers.Underwood, Peter, Bill Roper, Chris Metzen and Jeffrey Vaughn. StarCraft (Manual). Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998. History Onuru Sigma :Main article: Battle of Noranda Glacier Captain Edmund Duke of Alpha Squadron brought a unit of Alpha Squadron marines and goliaths to Onuru Sigma. He met with 33rd Ground Assault Division commander Brantigan Fole and promising young captain Arcturus Mengsk. Fole was ordered to combine active squads, and attached the 33rd's Dominion section to Duke's own troops. Duke would hold command authority and would evaluate Dominion section's performance. They were to attack a Kel-Morian Combine-operated mining facility at the Noranda Glacier. The battle turned into a trap. The dilapidated refinery was a carefully hidden series of strongpoints, and Duke's aggressive tactics resulted in him and his forces being trapped. Mengsk took over command, calling in Wraith fire to strafe the complex before his forces rushed into the complex and rescued Alpha Squadron. The two formations were forced to retreat as a massive Kel-Morian force approached. The Guild Wars were declared as a result of the battle.McNeill, Graham (December 30, 2008). StarCraft: I, Mengsk. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 1416-55083-6. Insurgency In 2491,April 6, 2010. "Timeline". StarCraft II: Heaven's Devils. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). pp. 311 - 323. ISBN 978-1416-55084-6. Alpha Squadron members under Duke engaged with the battlecruiser Hyperion, under the command of the newly formed Sons of Korhal rebel group. Those who boarded the craft were repelled and the Norad II was fended off, allowing the rebels to escape.Neilson, Micky (December 18, 2000). StarCraft: Uprising. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 978-0743-41898-0 (eBook). The Sara System ]] Eight years later, Alpha Squadron was summoned to Chau Sara to deal with an attack by Sons of Korhal insurgents. They were instructed to take no prisoners. There they encountered xenomorphs and Cerberus Recon Squad during the assault.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Precursor bonus campaign, mission 1: "Strongarm" (in English). 1998-09-03. Map Archives: Precursor Campaign. Alpha Squadron found itself following Cerberus' orders and defending the planet from the xenomorphs. Duke himself led Alpha Squadron in its defense of the city of Los Andares, fighting from a siege tank. They successfully defended the city and were then ordered to attack the main xenomorph hive cluster in the planet. The attack was a success.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Precursor bonus campaign, mission 4: "Force of Arms" (in English). 1998-09-03. Map Archives: Precursor Campaign. However, these efforts only delayed the inevitable and could not stop the zerg taking control of the planet. After the incineration of Chau Sara, Alpha Squadron made a clumsy counterattack against the protoss fleet to defend Mar Sara. However, they did not engage the protoss, as Executor Tassadar withdrew and spared the colony. On Mar Sara, Alpha Squadron had the core colonists relocated to the wastelands.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Wasteland (in English). 1998. They subsequently arrested Marshal Jim Raynor and local militia forces on the pretext of destroying Confederate property at Backwater Station.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Backwater Station (in English). 1998. They avoided action against the zergAdjutant: "The Confederates have arrested all standing militia forces and continue to avoid action against the Zerg." StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Level/area: Desperate Alliance (in English). 1998. and abandoned the planet once it was almost completely overrun. The chaos of their evacuation allowed Raynor to raid the Jacobs Installation,Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Jacobs Installation (in English). 1998. where they had experimented with captured zerg specimens.Jim Raynor: "Zerg! I don't believe this!" Arcturus Mengsk: "Believe it. I saw Zerg within Confederate holding pens myself, and that was over a year ago. It's clear the Confederates have known of these creatures for some time. For all we know they could be breeding the things! Be that as it may, our priority here is accessing the Confederate nework. We'll deal with the Zerg another day." StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Level/area: The Jacobs Installation (in English). 1998. The Antigan Revolt A large detachment of Alpha Squadron troops was stationed on Antiga Prime, which was ready to begin open revolt against the Confederacy. However, they failed to suppress the full-scale revolt that the Sons of Korhal stirred up.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Revolution (in English). 1998. Change in Loyalty '' crashes on Antiga Prime]] Over the planet, the Norad II was attacked by the zergBlizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Cinematic: The Downing of Norad II. (in English). 1998. and crash-landed on the planet. General Edmund Duke sent out a priority one distress call that was answered by the Sons of Korhal. Duke was convinced to join forces with Arcturus Mengsk.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft.''Vivendi Games. Mission: Norad II (in English). 1998. The rest of Alpha Squadron followed suit. As part of the Sons of Korhal the squadron fought two more months against Confederate reinforcements and zerg.Grubb, Jeff (February 27, 2001). ''StarCraft: Liberty's Crusade. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 978-0671-04148-9. The Fall of Tarsonis Alpha Squadron assaulted the central orbital platform over Tarsonis, defeating the Delta and Omega Squadron troops thereBlizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Big Push (in English). 1998. and planting psi emitters.Edmund Duke: "This is Duke. The Emitters are secured and on-line." Sarah Kerrigan: "Who authorized the use of Psi Emitters?" Mengsk: "I did, Lieutenant." Kerrigan: "What? The Confederates on Antiga were bad enough, but now you're going to use the Zerg against an entire planet? This is insane." Raynor: "She's right, man. Think this through." Mengsk: "I have thought it through, believe me. You all have your orders. Carry them out." StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Level/area: The Big Push (in English). 1998. Due to the genocidal actions caused by Mengsk and Duke, a number of the Alpha Squadron's troops deserted, joining Raynor's Raiders.Rosenberg, Aaron (May 23, 2006). StarCraft: Queen of Blades. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 978-0-7434-7133-6. When Raynor deserted, Duke activated the Ion cannon. However, Alpha Squadron was unsuccessful in defending it.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Hammer Falls (in English). 1998. Char After forming the Terran Dominion, Mengsk sent Alpha Squadron to Char to flush out the zerg there.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: The New Dominion (in English). 1998. The mission was an absolute disaster. Alpha Squadron encountered heavy resistance from the zerg and was unable to retrieve Kerrigan. The ground force was dislodged from their drop zone with over fifty percent casualties. The fleet came under attack by zerg and attempted to withdraw. While the Norad III managed to escape much of the remainder was destroyed by the protoss expeditionary force. The Amerigo was infiltrated by Sarah Kerrigan.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Amerigo (in English). 1998. A few months later, an Alpha Squadron fleet engaged Tassadar's ships'Duke:' "Protoss Commander, this is General Edmund Duke of the Terran Dominion Armada. You are in violation of our air-space and have endangered human lives in your reckless attack against the Zerg. I order you to withdraw your ships immediately. If you fail to comply, I will not hesitate to open fire upon your vessels." Tassadar: "General Duke, I am Tassadar, and you are well known to me. Whatever leniency I extended to you and your comrades before, may have been in error. If you persist in halting our course, we will burn your pathetic fleet down to the last man." Duke: "I'm going to have to assume that was a hostile response..." StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Level/area: Choosing Sides (in English). 1998. but was defeated.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Choosing Sides (in English). 1998. The Hunt for Schezar An element of Alpha Squadron was ordered to attack the notorious smuggling organization, the Schezar's Scavengers, on an unidentified world. The Scavengers were surrounded by zerg which seemed to be cooperating with them, but Alpha Squadron was able to defeat the combined forces.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Enslavers bonus campaign, mission 1: "Schezar's Scavengers" (in English). 1998. The Squadron then traveled to a larger Scavenger base, where the Scavengers had control of a Cerebrate and also held several protoss prisoner. Mengsk ordered the Cerebrate killed. The protoss praetor Mojo, imprisoned in a Stasis Cell on Aiur, contacted the local commander and asked him to rescue the protoss instead, as Alan Schezar, leader of the Scavengers, could simply acquire another Cerebrate.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Enslavers bonus campaign, mission 2A: "Playing with Fire" (in English). 1998. The Squadron detachment disobeyed orders and eventually traveled to Aiur, rescuing Mojo and working with the protoss.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Enslavers bonus campaign, mission 3B: "The Final Blow" (in English). 1998.2007-10-08. SC:L Metzen Interview - Lore Exclusive. StarCraft Legacy. Accessed 2007-10-08. Bhekar Ro Despite his services, Mengsk did not entirely trust Duke and sent the squadron on a series of survey missions, mapping potential colony worlds and re-establishing communications with colonies that had fallen on the wayside. This changed with a distress signal from the Fringe World of Bhekar Ro—the colonists had discovered a xel'naga temple and there were signs of other alien interest. Mengsk, wanting to investigate and knowing that the assignment would still leave Alpha Squadron at arm's length, dispatched them to investigate. The Squadron regarded the mission as trivial. The Squadron lost a number of battlecruisers to the protoss in the orbital battle with the protoss and zerg. Terran forces landed just in time to save Free Haven, the world's only town, from the Kukulkan Brood. The town was heavily damaged in the fighting and promptly fortified to serve as Alpha Squadron's headquarters. Duke ordered a general advance on the temple despite heavy protoss and zerg activity in the area. The terran suffered heavy casualties and were repulsed by the protoss. The general ordered the temple to be nuked, believing the protoss and zerg would withdraw if the temple was destroyed. The temple's destruction released an energy creature that absorbed the protoss and zerg. The remainder of the Squadron's fleet in orbit fired on the departing creature with Yamato Cannon, but the creature merely absorbed the fire and destroyed the ships.Mesta, Gabriel (July 1, 2001). StarCraft: Shadow of the Xel'Naga. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 978-0671-04149-6. In the immediate aftermath Alpha Squadron's few remaining shipsGolden, Christie (May 22, 2007). StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga #1: Firstborn. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 978-0-7434-7125-1. were not interstellar-capable and left the survivors temporarily stranded. It was months before anybody thought to check on them. The Reckoning :Main article: The Reckoning In the final battle of the Second Great War, with his palace under assault by the zerg and Raynor's Raiders, Mengsk sent Alpha Squadron's elite battlecruisers to destroy the Hyperion, but they fell to the combined firepower of the Raiders and the Swarm.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Heart of the Swarm, The Reckoning (in English). 2013-03-12. Known Members ;Officers: *General Edmund Duke (leader) *Captain Morrow *Captain Ragay *Captain Sandler *"The Lieutenant" *Lieutenant Samir Duran (formerly, at least by his own account) *Lieutenant Scott (formerly) *Lieutenant Emily Swallow ;Enlisted *Sergeant Roosevelt Brannigan *Ghost Agent MacGregor Golding *Chuck Ayers (formerly) *Jacobs *Malkovitch Notes *In StarCraft: Brood War, the squadron's white color is assumed in-game by the United Earth Directorate Expeditionary Force's Cronus Wing.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft: Brood War. (Blizzard Entertainment) (in English). November 30, 1998 References Category:Confederate Armed Forces Category:Sons of Korhal units Category:Dominion Armed Forces